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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

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IV. 

REPORTS 



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GOV. NICOLLS' ANSWERS TO THE SEVERAL! QUERIES 

RELATING TO 1 HE ILANTERS IN THE TERRITORIES OF HIS R. H S 
THE DUKE OF YORKE IN AMERICA. 

[Lond. Doc. II.] 

1st. The Governour and Councell with the High Sheriffe and 
the Justices of the Peace in the Court of the Generall assizes 
haue the Supreame Power of making, altering, and abolishing 
any Laws in this Government. The Country Sessions are held 
by Justices upon the Bench, Particular Town Courts by a Con- 
stable and Eight Overseers, The City Court of N. Yorke by a 
Mayor and Aldermen. All causes tried by Juries. 

2 nd . The Land is naturally apt to produce Corne & Cattle so 
that the severall proportions or dividents of Land are alwaies al- 
lowed with respect to the numbers of the Planters, what they 
are able to manage, and in w* time to accomplish their un- 
dertaking, the feed of Cattell is free in commonage to all Towne- 
ships, The Lots of Meadow or Corne Ground are peculiar to each 
Planter. 

3 rJ . The Tenure of lands is derived from his R. H. s who 
gives and grants lands to Planters as their freehold forever, they 
paying the customary rates and duties with others towards the 
defraying of pu'dique charges. The highes Rent or acknowledg- 
ment to his R. H. s will bee one penny pr acre for Lands purchas- 
ed by his R. H. s , the least two shillings sixe pence for each hun- 
dred acres, whereof the Planters themselves are purchasers from 
the Indyans. 

4. The Governour gives liberty to Planters to find out and 
buy lands from the Indyans where it pleaseth best the Planters, 
but the seating of Towns together is necessary in these parts of 
America, especially upon the Maine Land. 



8S REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK. 

5. Liberty of Conscience is graunled and assured with the 
the same Provisoe exprest in the Queerie. 

6. Liberty of ffishing and fowling is free to all by the Patent. 

7. All Causes are tried by Juries, no Lawes contrary to the 
Lawes of England. Souldyers onely are tryable by a Court 
Marshall, and none others except in cases of suddain invasion, 
mutiny or rebellion, as his Ma ties Lieutenants in any of his 
Countries of England may or ought to exercise. 

S th . As to this point there is no taxe, toledge, Impost or Cus- 
tome payable upon the Planters upon Corne or Cattle : the 
Country at present hath little other product, the Rate for publicise 
charges was agreed unto in a generall Assembly, and is now ma- 
naged by the Governour his Councell and the Justices in the 
Court of Assizes to that onely behoofe. 

9 th . The obtaining all thos priviledges is long since recomend- 
ecl to his R. H. s as the next necessary encouragement to these 
his Territories, whereof a good answer is expected. 

10 th . Every man who desires to trade for fFurrs at his re- 
quest hath liberty so to doe. 



ANSWERS OF GOV. ANDROS TO ENQUIRIES ABOUT NEW 
YORK ; 1678. 

[Lond. Doc. III.] 

Answers to the Inquires of Plantacons for New Yorke. 

1. The Governo 1- is to have a Councill not exceeding tenn, 
w th whose advice to act for the safety & good of the country, & 
in every towne, village or parish a Petty Court, & Courts of 
Sessions in the Severall precints being three, on Long Island, & 
Townes of New Yorke, Albany & Esopus, & some smale or poore 
Islands & out places ; and the Generall court of assizes composed 
of the Governo r & Councill & all the Justices & magistrates att 
New York once a yeare, the Petty courts Judge of five pounds. 



REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 89 

& then may appeale to Sessions, they to twenty pounds & then 
may appeale to assizes to y e King, al sd courts as by Law. 

2. The court of Admiralty hath been by speciall comission or 
by the Court of Mayo r & Aldermen att New Yorke. 

3. The cheife Legislative power there is in the Governo r with 
advice of the Councell the executive power Judgem ts given by 
y e courts is in the sheriffs & and other civil officers. 

4. The law booke in force was made by the Governo r & As- 
sembly att Hempsted in 1665 & since confirmed by his Royall 
Highnesse. 

5. The Militia is about 2000 of w ch about 140 horse in three 
troopes the foote formed into companyes, most under 100 men 
each all indifferently armed with fire-armes of all sizes, ordered 
& exercised according to Law, and are good fire men, one stand- 
ing company of Souldiers with gunners & other officers for the 
fforts of New Yorke & Albany alwayes victualled in October & 
November for a yeare. 

6. Forteresses are James fforte seated upon a point of New 
Yorke towne between Hudson's River & y e Sound, its a square 
with stone walls, foure bastions almost regular, and in it 46 
gunnes mounted & stores for service accordingly. Albany is a 
smale long stoekadoed forte with foure bastions in it, 12 gunns, 
sufficient ag* Indians, and lately a wooden redout & out worke at 
Pemaquid w th 7 gunns, s'd Garrisons victualled for a yeare, w th 
suff 1 stores. 

7. There are no privateers about o r Coasts. 

8. Our Neighbours westward are Mary land populous and 
strong but doe not live in townes, their produce tobacco, North- 
west the Maques & c . Indians y e most warr like in all the North- 
ern Parts of America, their trade beavers & furrs. Northward 
the ffrench of Canada trade as wee with our Indians ; Eastward 
Connecticut in a good condicon & populous, their produce pro- 
visionn of wheate, beefe & porke, some pease, o r South bounds 
the Sea. 

9. Wee keepe good Correspondence with all o r neighbours as 
to Civill, legall or judiciall proceedings, but differ with Connec- 



90 REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK. 

ticutt for o r bounds & mutuall assistance w ch they nor Massachu- 
setts will not admitt. 

10. Our boundaries are South, the Sea, West Delaware ; 
North to y e Lakes or ffrench ; East Connecticut river, but most 
usurped & yett possed by s'd Connecticut some Islands Eastward 
& a tract beyond Kennebeck River called Pemaquid, &c. New 
Yorke is in 40 d 35 m ; Albany ab 1 43 d ; the Collony is in severall 
long narrow stripes of w ch a greate parte of the settlem 1 made 
by adventurers before any Regulaconby w ch Incroachm ts without 
pattents w ch townes have lately taken but by reason of continuall 
warrs noe Survey made & [qu. of the J wildernesse, noe certaine com- 
putacon can be made of the planted and implanted, these last 2 
yeares about 20,000 acres taken up and pattented for particuler 
persons besides Delaware, most of the land taken up except upon 
Long Island is improued & unlesse the bounds of the Duke's 
pattent be asserted noe great quantityes att hand undisposed. 

11. Our principall places of Trade are New Yorke and South- 
'ton except Albany for the Indyans, our buildings most wood, 
some lately stone & brick, good country houses & strong of their 
severall kindes. 

12. Wee haue about 24 townes, villiages or parishes in Six 
Precincts, Divisions, Rydeings, or Courts of Sessions. 

13. Wee haue severall Rivers, Harbours & Roades, Hudson's 
River the chiefest & is ab 1 . 4 fathom water att coming in butt 
six, tenn or more within & very good soundings & anchorage 
either in Hudson's River or in the Sound, the usuall roade before 
the town and moulde. 

14. Our produce is land provisions of all sorts as of wheate 
exported yearly about C0000 bushells, pease, beefe, pork, & some 
Refuse fish, Tobacco, beavers, peltry or furrs from the Indians, 
Deale & oake timber, plankcs, pipestaues, lumber, horses, & pitch 
& tarr lately begunn to be made, Comodityes imported are all 
sorts of English manufacture for Christians & blancketts, Duffells 
& c . for Indians about 50000 lb yearly, Pemaquid afords merchant- 
able ffish & masts. 

15. Wee haue noe Experience or skill of Salt Peter to be had 
in Quantityes. 



REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK. 91 

16. Our Merch ts are not many but with inhabitants & planters 
about 2000, able to beare armes, old inhabitants of the place or 
of England, Except in & neere New Yorke of Dutch Extraction 
& some few of all nations, but few Serv ts , much wanted & but 
very few slaves. 

17. Noe persons whateuer are to come from any place but 
according to act off Pari 1 w ch the magistrates and officers of 
the severall townes or places are to take care of, accordingly the 
plantacon is these late yeares increased, butt noe Genrall ace 1 hath 
been taken soe is not knowne how much nor what persons. Some 
few Slaues are sometimes brought from Barbadoes, most for Pro- 
visions and sould att a bt 30* b or 35i b Country pay. 

18. Ministers have been soe scarce & Religions many that 
noe ace 1 cann be giuen of Children's births or christenings. 

19. Scarcity of Ministers and Law admitting marriages by 
Justices, noe ace 1 cann be giuen of the number marryed. 

20. Noe ace 1 cann be giuen of burialls, formes of burialls not 
being generally obserued & few ministers till very lately. 

21. A merch* worth 1000 lb or 500 lb is accompted a good sub- 
stantiall merchant and a planter worthe halfe that in moveables 
accompted [rich 1] with all the Estates may be valued att about 
£150,000. 

23. There may lately haue traded to y e Collony in a yeare 
from tenn to fifteen shipps or vessells of about togeather 100 tunns 
each,English new England and our owne built of w ch 5 small shipps 
& a Ketch now belonging to New Yorke foure of them built there. 

23. Obstruccons to Improuem* of planters, trade, Navigacon 
and mutuall assistance are y e distinction of Collonies for our 
owne produce, as if different nations and people, though next 
neighbours upon the same tract of land, & His Ma ties subjects, 
we obserueing acts of trade & navigacon &c. 

24. Aduantages, Incouragem 1 & Improuem 1 of Planters trade 
& Navigacon would be more if next neighbours of o r own Nation 
the King's subjects on the same tract of land might without dis- 
tinction, supply each other with our owne produce, punctually 
obserueing all acts of parliam 1 for Exportacon & would dispose all 
persons the better for mutuall assistance. 



92 REPORT ON THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK. 

25. Rates or dutyes upon Goods exported are 2 s for each hhd of 
Tobacco & I s 3 d on a beaver skin & other peltry proportionably, 
Provisions and all else paye nothingj Goods imported payes2 per 
cent except Liquors particulerly rated something more, & Indian 
trade goeing up the river payes 3 per cent, there are some few 
quitt-rents, as also Excise or license monys for retaileing slronge 
drinke & a way house or publique Scale : all applyed to y e Gar- 
rison and publique charge, to which it hath not hitherto sufficed 
by a greate deale. 

26. There are Religions of all sorts, one church of England, 
Several Presbiterians & Independents, Quakers & Anabaptists of 
Severall sects, some Jews but presbiterians & Independ ts most 
numerous & Substantiall. 

27. The Duke maintaines a chapline w ch is all the certaine 
allowance or Church of England, but peoples free gifts to y e 
Ministry, and all places oblidged to build Churches & provide for 
a minister, in w ch most very wanting, but presbiterians & Inde- 
pend ts desierous to have and maintaine them if to be had, There 
are ab l 20 Churches or Meeting places of w ch aboue halfe vacant 
their allowance like to be from 40 lb to 70 lb a yeare and a house and 
garden. Noe Beggars but all poore cared ffor. If good Minis- 
ters could be had to goe theither might doe well & gaine much 
upon those people. 

Endorsed 

" Answers of inquiries of New-York 
Rec d from S r Edm. Andros on the 16 th 
of Ap. 1678." 

Note. — Chalmers gives in his Annals what purport to be copies 
of these Reports, but they will be found to be rather abstracts 
when compared with the official MSS. which are now published 
in full, it is believed for the first time. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




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